Oregon US - Oregon

Oregon US - Oregon

The beautiful state of Oregon has, over the past few decades, become increasingly well known and respected for its wine industry, with several small but significant wineries within the state receiving world wide attention for the quality of their produce. Whilst the first vineyards within Oregon were planted in the 1840s, the state's wine industry didn't really take off until the 1960s, when several wine producers from California discovered that the cooler regions of the state were ideal for cultivating various fine grape varietals. Today, Oregon has over four hundred and fifty wineries in operation, the vast majority of which are used for the production of wines made from Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir varietal grapes, both of which thrive in the valleys and mountainsides which characterise the landscape of the state.

In the mid-1960s when the first vineyards of Pinot Noir were planted in the Willamette Valley, there were virtually no wineries producing vinifera wines in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Although Oregon made wine in the early 19th century, Prohibition effectively wiped out its wine industry. The Oregon wine pioneers of the Sixties were an iconoclastic crew, fascinated by the challenges of the climate, and the prospect of taming a new wine frontier. Temperamental Pinot Noir was the daring choice. The grape, its growers and winemakers work hard for their money, but it shows to their advantage in the wines. The distinguished white varietal of Oregon is elegant, spicy, crisp Pinot Gris.

Oregon's climate is defined by two conditions: cool growing season and plenty of rain. Uneven ripening is the rule; picking can begin as early as September or as late as November. The Pacific Ocean keeps frost at bay; but can bring lots of rain, fog and wind into the wine-growing regions which lie west of the Cascade Mountains. As a result, growers have to be discerning where they plant. You won't see the wide vineyards tracts that are the rule in California. Oregon vineyards are dotted in pockets here and there to take advantage of the best conditions.

Rogue River Valley

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have found a good home in the much warmer Rogue Valley. Yields will always be small, so consumers who are interested in exploring these wines should be prepared for high quality/limited availability.